Chapter 18

     After the Quidditch match, Fluttershy was barely able to leave the dormitory without somepony either glaring at her or high fiving her. When Rarity invited Fluttershy, Twilight, and Applejack to her home for tea, Fluttershy saw it as an opportunity to get away from all that, even if it was only for an afternoon.

Rarity's home was a small purple and white victorian cottage with a wooden porch spanning all the way around it. Fluttershy grew anxious when she saw that Rarity's cottage was just on the outskirts of the dark and gloomy Everfree Forest.

"Hello Darlings!" Rarity exclaimed when the three fillies stepped inside her house. "I have tea and scones that will be ready in just a moment!"

     Rarity wore a purple apron as she dashed back and forth in her small kitchen. 

The room they were in was big and round. To the side were sewing machines and multiple yards of fabric. On the other end was an empty fireplace with a big purple chair next to it.

The three fillies sat down at the round table in the center of the room. 

A few minutes later, Rarity walked out of the kitchen and set a kettle of tea and a plate of scones on the table. She filled all three of their cups up to the brim.

Fluttershy took a sip.

     "What's in this tea?" She asked, her face contorted in disgust.

"It's a new type of tea," Rarity explained. "Ordered straight from Siberia! Do you like it?"

"Of course," Fluttershy said quickly.

    "Good," Rarity said. "I was a little unsure about it. If you three didn't like it, I would have gone back to the old stuff. But since you three like it, I'll use it every time you visit."

Applejack glared at Fluttershy.

"Good job in Quidditch Darling," Rarity said.

"Thank you," Fluttershy said politely.

     "She's a bit shaken up about it," Applejack said. "Somepony tryin' to curse her and all."

"You musn't let it bother you Darling," Rarity said. "You see that sort of thing in Quidditch all too often. Pranksters think they're so clever."

     "I don't think it was a prankster," Twilight said. "In fact, I know it wasn't a prankster."

"Who was it?" Rarity asked, leaning forward in her seat anxiously.

"Professor Trixie," Twilight said.

Rarity spat out the tea she was sipping. "Professor Trixie? She's a Hogwarts teacher, not a  devious criminal!"

"We've given it a lot of thought," Twiligt insisted. "Her horn was glowing while Fluttershy was being jinxed. That's a sure sign she was doing magic of some sort. Also, when the troll was on the loose, she snuck off on her own and got herself injured."

"Don't tell me she's responsible for the troll too!"  Rarity spat. "What exactly do you think she was doing when she supposedly snuck off."

     "She snuck to the third floor corridor to try getting past that three headed dog," Fluttershy said.

"Who told you about Fluffy?" Rarity demanded.

"Fluffy?" Applejack asked. "That thing has a name?"

"Of course he has a name," Rarity said. "Hayseed and I helped capture him. He was running a muck in the Everfree Forest. Then we gave him to Celestia to guard the..."

Rarity stopped. "I shouldn't have said that."

     "But Rarity!" Twilight whined. "Trixie is trying to steal whatever Fluffy is guarding."

"Now you three listen to me," Rarity said. "You're meddling in things you shouldn't be meddling in. What Fluffy is guarding is strictly between Professor Celestia and Combover Liverspot!"

"Combover Liverspot?" Fluttershy echoed.

Rarity facehooved. "Oh god," she moaned. "I shouldn't have said that."

*******************

Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy sat in the library.

"I looked everywhere in this library!" Twilight cried. "I looked at old newspapers! I looked in the Encyclopedia of Important Ponies! Combover Liverspot isn't mentioned anywhere!"

Applejack pointed her hoof towards the metal gate at the corner of the library. "What about there?"

"Oh no!" Twilight said. "That's the restricted section. Only fifth year students and older are allowed in."

"Do you think these dark and mysterious secrets are gonna be in the restricted section?" Applejack asked. She grabbed the book Twilight was holding. "Or in Important Ponies from A-Z?"

"I know," Twilight said sadly. "Let's just keep looking."